On the Path to Fixing a Broken Heart
by ZetaAdele
Summary: Ezio is given a chance to redo his past mistakes and erase his inner turmoil with the help of the Apple of Eden as he is sent back to 1476, three days before the death of His Father and Brothers.
1. The Return

Hello! Tis a new story I have posted~ This will be my first continuous story, so wish me luck! I'm in such an in a Assassin's Creed mood and I like the whole idea of Ezio and time travel so I decided to try it out for myself~ ^^ This story will be an Ezio/Rosa pairing btu there most likely won't be much about them for the most of the story, but it woll be based on the idea that Ezio and Rosa are in an intimate relationship.

Diclaimer: I do not own Assassin's creed or anythign about it (Sadly) though I do own this story~

Dedication: Also I dedicate this story to 'ScrabbleJak' since she's a very kind gal~ Check out her AC stories as well they're fantastic!

* * *

He opened his eyes to an all-too-familiar ceiling, sitting up quickly and blinking his eyes rapidly trying his hardest to fully wake up. He looked around the room cautiously taking in every detail 'It_ can't be' _he thought to himself, denying what he saw. Slowly he slid from his bed, his feet touching the cool marble flooring sending shivers up his spine. He walked around the room his hands running across the nostalgic furnishing, once again trying to deny what he saw and felt around him.

'_This can't possibly be real; I left this place 12 years ago! I must be dreaming...'_

Deep in thought, he did not notice when the door to the room opened and someone walked inside.

"Ezio! What are you doing standing around? Father wants to see you!"

Ezio turned around to face the source of the voice only to see a face that he thought would never again.

'_Federico? Impossible! I saw him die! I don't know what's going on here but I guess I should play along until I learn more, this is likely just a dream but at least I might see the faces of my father and brothers once more...''_

"Ezio," Federico said to him breaking Ezio from his thoughts "Are you alright brother? You look very pale..." Federico asked his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine Federico, just a little tired that's all, it's nothing to worry about." Ezio quickly lied. Federico didn't look convinced.

"Alright, if you say so, anyways father is waiting for you downstairs he wants you to run an errand for him."

"Alright, and Federico before you go would you mind telling me the date?

"The date?" Federico asked his younger brother clearly confused.

"Yes, just tell me the date. Please..."

"It's the third of November" (1)

"And what's the year?"

"It's 1476...Brother, are you s_ure_ that you're ok?"

"Yes, yes I am Federico. Now if you would excuse me I'm going to see father about the errand he wants me to do." Ezio said quickly brushing past his brother and walking briskly from the room.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

'_November 3__rd__ 1476? That's only three days before Father, Petruccio and Federico were hung! What did I do that day? Oh yes, I remember; father had asked me to pick up some writing supplies for him, it was also the day I got into that fight with Vieri and then later spent the night with Cristina. Well it seems as though I won't be doing those last two things (Unfortunately though in Cristina's case). I must come up with a plan...' _Ezio thought making his way to his father's office.

Upon arriving at his father's office Ezio knocked on the door and upon receiving no answer walked promptly into the office.

"Ezio, I've been expecting you! I was hoping you could get me a few more pieces of parchment and some ink" Giovanni asked his son getting up from his desk, walking over to Ezio and placing his hand on his son's shoulder. Ezio stiffened immediately under his father's touch, his eyes widening and the blood drained from his face.

'_How is this possible? I shouldn't be able to feel him touch me! Maybe this really isn't all a dream...'_

"Ezio are you alright?" Giovanni asked, making Ezio break away from his thoughts once more.

"Yes father I'm fine. And I'll go get you the parchment and ink right away." Ezio hurriedly said breaking away from his father's grasp and rushing from the room, not trusting himself to remain calm in his father's presence any longer.

"Oh Ezio what's gotten into you...?" Giovanni asked himself quietly as he watched his son depart from his office.

* * *

Well that was a short chappie but the next will be longer I promise!I hope that you enjoyed it~ the next chapter will hopefully be up very soon!

(1) I'm not sure of the date when Ezio's Father and brothers were hung (if anyone knows please tell me!) and so for know the date will be November 6 1476.

Please review~ I really enjoy your feedback!


	2. Explanations

A/N: Well here's chapter 2! After lots of revising as well as lots of help and advice form my awesome beta ScrabbleJak (Thank You!) I'm finally done, so I hope you enjoy~

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) still do not own Assassin's creed or any of the characters...But the story still does belong to me ;3

* * *

'_Okay, now I know that this can't all be just a dream or illusion, but just how could I have gotten here then? Wait, the last thing I remember is...'_

_Flashback_

"Ezio! You're back!" Rosa exclaimed, running up to him and pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Yes, My Beautiful Rose. I am glad to see you are safe" Ezio told her, returning the embrace lovingly.

"And I am glad to see you are unharmed as well" Rosa poked him in the chest playfully, "You managed to keep your promise and not die on me."

"Well, how could I die knowing that I would be married to such a beautiful woman in just a few weeks?" Ezio flirted with her.

Rosa simply laughed, crushing her lips against his in a loving kiss. "So, how did it go? Did you manage to kill the Spaniard like you had planned to?" she asked him once they broke apart.

"No, unfortunately I was unable to kill him; that bastard ran away before I got the chance." Ezio spat, his face contorting in anger. Then, wiping the anger from his face, he turned to smile at Rosa, "And for as to how the mission went, well look for yourself." Ezio held his left hand out to Rosa and then turned it over to show her the mark on his ring finger.

"What does it mean?" Rosa eyed the mark curiously for a moment, and then grabbed his hand, roughly rubbing her thumb over the mark; thinking it to be nothing more than dirt.

"It means that I am officially a member of the Assassin's." Ezio told her grinning and his eyes shining with mirth.

"That's Fantastic!" Rosa grinned with equal fervour.

"I also obtained this," Ezio said, reaching into his pouch and handing her the Apple of Eden.

"Wow, what is it?" Rosa asked, examining the Apple suspiciously.

"I'm not quite sure, but I believe it once belonged to my ancestor, Altair. It was mentioned plenty of times in the parts of his codex that I have found so far."

"I see." Rosa handed Ezio the Apple, "Do you know what it does?" Rosa inquired.

"Well, I don't really know, but I found this strange pattern." Ezio trailed off, tracing his finger over said pattern on the orb, when suddenly his eyes widened as he saw something he had not noticed before. "Wait, it seems like there's some sort of switch on it!" he exclaimed in surprise as Rosa leaned in to get a better look.

"I wonder what it could be..." Rosa said, unknowingly expressing her thoughts out loud.

Ezio seemed to be thinking the same thing as he placed his finger on the switch pressing down on it slowly. A bright light erupted from the orb engulfing Ezio in the light entirely. Everything seemed to suddenly go into slow motion as Ezio felt himself fall to the ground, darkness beginning to consume him.

"EZIO!" he heard Rosa scream in utter terror before he unwillingly succumbed to the darkness...

_End of Flashback_

'_The Apple of Eden! That's what must have sent me back, but why? What the hell even happened to it? Wait, then what happened to my older body? And why am I in my younger body? Urgh, this is all so confusing...' _

He continued to think on this until he collided with something, forcing him from his thoughts. Looking up he realized that he had ran into the wall to the right of Leonardo's workshop. Chuckling at his own stupidity he turned on his heel and knocked on the door of his dear friend's workshop. He waited patiently for Leonardo to open the door knowing that he must be in the middle of some sort of project of his.

After a few moments of waiting, the door opened, revealing a cheerful looking Leonardo "Why, hello...?'

"Ezio. Ezio Auditore, I am Giovanni's son." Ezio said bowing slightly and grinning.

"Ah! Ezio it's pleasure to meet you, I am Leonardo da Vinci. "He said returning the bow.

"The honour is mine."

"Did you come to pick up the paintings your mother commissioned?"

"Well actually I need your help with something. Do you mind if I came in?" Ezio asked somewhat hesitantly, his eyes meeting Leonardo's, his face entirely stoic.

"Yes, yes of course!" Leonardo exclaimed cheerfully-obviously delighted at the prospect- leading Ezio over to a table. He grabbed the various materials scattered on the table and promptly brought them to another table farther back in the workshop, "Sorry about the mess..." Leonardo sheepishly apologized rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"No, it's quite alright!" Ezio proclaimed, his eyes lighting up with mirth, remembering his friend's ways.

"Now, Ezio what was it that you needed my help with exactly?" Leonardo inquired once they had settled down at the now clean table.

"Well, this may seem crazy and far-fetched but...I'm from the future." Ezio stated, biting his bottom lip and furrowing his brow agitatedly

Leonardo hardly batted an eyelash, "I see. So how far in the future are you from?"

Ezio felt his jaw drop in surprise. He had been expecting laughter or some other response to his wild claim, "Around 12 years...wait...Why are you not laughing or calling me crazy or some other sort of reaction to what I'm claiming?"

At this, Leonardo did laugh. "Ezio, why would I call you crazy when I haven't heard your full story? From what I see you seem about as sane as I, and I like to consider myself quite sane." Leonardo replied smiling.

Ezio returned his smile, shaking his head slightly. "No matter what time period, Leonardo, you're always the same old Leonardo."

"Oh, so I know you then?" Leonardo asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, you are a very close friend of mine." Ezio nodded in affirmation.

"So, how did you get here exactly?"

"Well, you see..."

Their conversation continued on like this; Leonardo asking a question and Ezio answering.

"Ah, I understand now!"

"So do you think you can make the equipment I need, Leonardo?"

"Yes. From what you described, it appears to be quite simple actually. It might take a few hours though." Leonardo trailed off stroking his chin in deep thought.

"That's quite alright my friend – I can wait- this is something that must be done if I am to have any chance of saving my family."


	3. The Omnipotent Apple

OMG I'M ALIVE! I'm soo sorry everyone I've been super busy andhad a bad case of writers block! (You have the right to stab me with multiple hidden blades now DX)

But now I am back and I will try to update much more often! Also since I am quite displeased with my last two chapters I think I may edit them and add a bit more detail~

Also a special shout out to **ScrabbleJak** (my lovely beta~) and to my friends: **SporkedGamer**, **Mismatch-Lover **and** Dragon's-Maidens**. If you haven't read any of ScrabbleJak's stories or SporkedGamer's _Broken Saviour_ series and_ Reality Check_, Mismatch-Lover's_ Just Beyond my Reach, my Assassin _or Mismatch-Lover's (Whose lyric idea I stole down below, which I had to cus that song just fit way too well with my story idea :D) _Always Watching _go do that like NAO :I (Or like when your done reading and possibly reviewing this chapter XD)

Songs I listened to while writing this chapter:

First Half: Home in Florence by Jesper Kid

Second Half: Heaven Forbid by The Fray

Thanks to all my story readers, reviewers, favorite-ers and watchers!

* * *

_'And I won't cry for yesterday _  
_there's an ordinary world somehow I have to find _  
_And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world _  
_I will learn to survive' _  
**Ordinary World** by **Red**

* * *

Chapter 3

The Omnipotent Apple

Leonardo nodded. "Yes, Ezio I understand, but I won't be finished until at least tomorrow. You should go home and get some rest," he suggested, his voice empathetic. He walked over to Ezio and gently placed his hand on his new-found friend's back, ushering him to the door.

As Leonardo moved to open the door, Ezio stopped him, outstretching his arm and cutting off Leonardo's path. "Leonardo, what should I tell my family? Should I tell them the truth?" he asked tentatively.

Sighing, Leonardo turned, his eyes locking onto Ezio's. "Ezio no matter how understanding _I _am I'm not sure I can say the same for your family. You have a very wild claim that's difficult to both understand and believe. While I can do both, it may take time for your family to do so. Until you have completed your mission and have very believable proof, I suggest you simply pretend nothing is different, okay?" Leonardo gave Ezio a small reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Leonardo, for everything." Giving Leonardo a quick hug, Ezio then made his way onto the vibrant streets of Florence. Ezio had seemingly spent hours in Leonardo's workshop as it now appeared to be mid afternoon. People were scurrying about across the beautifully paved streets. Merchants yelled cries of great deals and amazing new products in hopes of getting a paying customer. Men and women chatted in small groups, talking about the latest fashions or gossiping about the biggest scandals. Bards played their lutes, singing loudly of tales and stories while courtesans gathered in groups of four, giggling as Ezio walked by.

Ezio ignored all this as he walked slowly towards his home, his thoughts focusing solely on his plan and on his family. He decided to take a shortcut through an alley, passing a group of thieves, and as he did so his thoughts shifted towards a certain thief. _'Rosa...what happened to her? God, I hope she's alright...'_He continued to think of Rosa until screams and shouts of anger broke him from his reverie. Eyes widening in surprise, Ezio hurriedly ran in the direction of the voices. Once he arrived on the scene, he saw two obviously drunken and armed men surrounding a young woman, backing her into the corner of the alley.

"Get away from me, you bastard! Or I'll rip your balls off and shove them down your throat!" The woman screamed angrily at the men moving in on her.

"Oh, but we just want to have some fun!" One of the men slurred, reaching out to the woman, cupping her cheek with his hand and leaning to whisper in her ear, "_Darling._"

The woman slapped his hand away and punched him in the face, causing his nose to begin bleeding profusely. The man staggered backwards, clutching his now broken nose "You little bitch!" The man yelled, moving his hands away from his face he quickly unsheathing his sword. The woman bent her knees and leaned forward slightly, readying herself to disarm the man, but as she made a move, the man's companion came from behind her and grabbed her roughly around the waist, placing his dagger against her throat. The woman screamed in frustration, obviously trying to grab attention, while she struggled against the man's hold.

"So, what should we do with this whore, Emilio?" the man with the weapon asked.

Emilio smirked." Let's have our way with her, and then kill her." He laughed cruelly.

Watching the scene unfold, Ezio saw this as his opportune moment to make his move. Unsheathing his own dagger, Ezio snuck carefully, moving through the shadows, behind the man that held the woman captive. Then as fast as a bolt of lightning he stabbed Emilio's companion in the back, being careful not to harm the woman. The man screamed in agony as the blade pierced his skin, causing him to release his grip on the woman, his dagger clattering to the ground as it fell from his hand.

As the man fell limp to the floor, Ezio turned to the woman and whispered sharply, "Get out of here, I'll take care of it!" Ignoring his words, the woman hastily picked up the dropped dagger and set her fierce gaze on Emilio. Lurching forward, she grabbed Emilio's arm pinning it back against the wall, preventing him from getting in her way, his eyes widen in shock and in one swift motion she slit his throat. Emilio fell to the floor like a puppet with its string cut, causing the woman to smirk victoriously, blood still dripping from the dagger as she turned around, a smug expression gracing her features.

"Now, as you can see I took care of that situation perfectly fine on my own." The spoke haughtily "Now, if you don't mind-"She lifted her head up to look at Ezio directly and gasped, "Ezio? Is that you?" The woman took a hesitant step towards him.

Hearing his name, Ezio took the chance to fully take in the figure before him "Rosa?" Ezio quickly activated his eagle vision and, seeing the familiar blue glow, rushed forward to hug her, "It _is_ you isn't it?" he asked pressing his face into her hair, relief evident in his voice.

"Yes, of course it is. Who else, Antonio?" Rosa joked in a playful tone, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in closer towards her. Ezio chuckled lightly, running his hands up and down her back soothingly. They settled into a comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's presence for a moment. Then, remembering where they were, Ezio broke the embrace, moving his hands to her shoulders and holding her out at arm's length.

"We need to talk, but here is not the place to do so." He paused for a moment thinking of what he should do. "Let's go to Leonardo's, that's probably the safest place, he already knows everything." Rosa nodded in agreement and they both set off to the workshop, weaving through the crowds of people, maintaining a safe distance from one another. They soon found themselves at the doorstep of Leonardo's workshop Ezio knocked on the door, which Leonardo quickly opened and, upon seeing them both, ushered them inside.

Leonardo closed the door and led them to the table, gesturing for them both to sit down;

. After they were seated, Leonardo pulled out a chair of his own and sat down with them. "Now, Ezio what is it that brings you back? I take it this young lady is important to your story." Leonardo smiled delightedly, obviously excited to hear more of Ezio's interesting tale.

"Yes, yes, Leonardo. She is. But before we can begin talking about how she fits into the whole situation, there are a few things she needs to explain to us." Ezio turned to her and reached forward, clasping both her hands between his and looking her in the eye. "Rosa, how did you get here?" Ezio asked softy, choosing his words carefully.

Rosa smirked slightly. "Well, the same way as you of course." Gently removing her hand from Ezio's, she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the glowing, round sphere, "With this." Once Ezio saw the Apple he reached forward to snatch it from the thief's hands only to have her briskly move her hand out of reach. "Nope, you've already made too much of mess with this." She was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I'm sure that I am quite capable of taking care of it!"

"Rosa-"

Rosa cut him off her expression turning solemn.

"No, Ezio. Before you continue, you must understand that what has been maybe only a few hours for you has been over a year for me."

"What you mean?" Ezio asked his face showing his evident confusion. His mind was racing, trying to figure out just how what Rosa told him was possible.

Sighing, Rosa ran her hand across her face in exhaustion. "When you used the apple and came here, you died in our world." Rosa's voice broke and tears began to form slightly in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. Clearing her throat, she began again. "Somehow the apple transported your being, or soul you could say, into your younger body, therefore rendering your older body empty and...lifeless. Everyone simply assumed that the apple had killed you. '_The power was too much for him'_they agreed was the cause." She scoffed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she remembered, then she met Ezio's eyes, staring at him intently, speaking with a tone of finality.

"But I knew better."

Ezio nodded and gestured for her to continue. Rosa lifted up the apple in one hand, resting her elbow on the table and raising her arm in a way so that Ezio could see the apple clearly.

"I knew that there was more to this piece of Eden than what everyone assumed. I looked for answers and I found them. You see Ezio; this isn't just a very powerful, unexplainable orb. It's a weapon and a tool created by forces that we may never be able to understand that is able to control the minds of men... and destroy them."

Ezio inhaled sharply. "How did you discover this?"

"By trying it out for myself. Once you were gone, I couldn't accept that you died; it didn't seem real to me. So I decided to find out the truth by using the apple." Rosa paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath. "The apple more than anything was used not to kill, but to control, even take over the minds of others. It is able to create illusions, even the illusion of death. It truly is a tool to rule over people with the ability to make them your slaves against their will."

Ezio listened intently, watching Rosa with a look of concern and curiosity. "But it can't just be simply omnipotent with no cost from the user in return."

"You're right, there is a cost. Two, actually. One is your health and life energy, the other- your sanity."

Ezio gasped lightly. "And have you experienced these two costs?"

"Yes. The first cost is the one I payed for the most. Immediately after using the apple, you feel yourself grow weak, but thankfully that strength is regained quite quickly. The other is well...a little more complicated. What truly drives you to insanity is the power. Wielding the apple makes you feel invincible and that feeling makes you crave to rule over everyone forcing them beneath you. My mind just isn't strong enough to resist that, it seems."

Rosa shuddered, obviously recalling the thought of her growing mental instability. Seeing this, Ezio stood up and quickly strode over to Rosa, sitting in the chair to her left. He placed his right arm over her shoulder, pulling her in close to him and stroking her hair all in an effort to calm her racing mind. Noticeably calmed by Ezio's actions, Rosa turned her head to look up at Ezio, "And that's why I don't want you to use the apple. I've already begun to lose myself to the power and I don't want you to lose yourself as well!"

"Rosa, if you continue to use the apple, you may very well go insane, and I would never forgive myself if that happened. My mind is quite strong and I have no doubt that I would be able to handle it."

"Ezio, you have no idea what it's like! You've never felt how it feels to be all-powerful!"

"Then let me try it! I'll never know what it's like unless I do!"

As their voices grew louder, Leonardo, who had stayed silent for the duration of Rosa and Ezio's conversation, then decided to stop the quarrel that had begun. "Rosa, Ezio, that's enough. Fighting won't solve anything." Leonardo chided them in a gentle voice, a whisper of a smile decorating his features. Hearing this, looks of shame showed on both Ezio and Rosa's faces as they mumbled hurried, 'I'm sorry's .' But Leonardo appeared to take no offense at their argument and quickly waved off their apologies. "Now, now, it's quite alright. There's no need to apologise. Besides, we have something more important to discuss. After listening to your conversation, I have to say-Rosa, I understand your concern, and Ezio, I understand yours as well. But, I think that there is only one option."

"And that is?" Rosa asked, urging him to continue.

"Ezio must use the Apple of Eden."


	4. Dinner with the Family

Hey Everyone! New Chappie, eh? Heh I broke my record with this one! Tis my longest one yet (Yay!)! Anyways, as always I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to all my reviewers, to everyone who has added this story to their favorites or their alerts and to everyone who has just read this! I thank you all for your support and your kind words!

Again, a special shoutout to my friends and my very epic beta~ **SporkedGamer**, **Mismatch-Lover, ****Dragon's-Maidens** and **ScrabbleJak** (Hi guys :3)

Well there is really only one song I listened to while working on this chapter which I put down below :3

And I hope you enjoy, everyone! Have fun reading!

* * *

_ I'm not the same as yesterday _  
_Ooh...It's hard to explain _  
_How things have changed _  
_But I'm not the same as before _  
_And I know there's so much more ahead _  
_I can barely believe that I'm here _  
_And I won't surrender quietly _  
_Step up and watch me go _  
**E for Extinction** by **Thousand Foot Krutch**

* * *

Chapter 4

Dinner with the Family

"What? That can't be our only option!" Rosa shouted in anger, standing up from her chair abruptly.

Leonardo remained calm despite Rosa's outburst and spoke to her in a placid tone "Rosa, Ezio needs the help of the apple to complete his mission. Besides, from what he has told me, he is the prophet. It is his destiny to wield the apple."

"But—"Rosa stopped, looking visibly disheartened. She sighed and fell slowly into the chair, bowing her head. "I just...don't want to lose him again." She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, but still loud enough for both Leonardo and Ezio to hear clearly.

Hearing this, Ezio reached out to Rosa, gently lifting her chin and cupping her face with both his hands, speaking with complete certainty. "You won't. I promise."

Rosa smiled faintly, but it didn't reach her eyes, and they remained troubled. "That's what you said last time..."

"I'm still here, aren't I? I was just lost for a little while," Ezio told Rosa in a cheerful tone, obviously trying to cheer her up. But his attempt didn't seem to work as she seemed to now be fighting back tears. Unsure of what else to do, Ezio pulled Rosa into a tight embrace. "It's alright to cry you know." Almost as though she was given permission to do so, Rosa let out all the emotions she had kept locked away during the time she was without Ezio. She began to cry her heart out onto Ezio's shoulder as he gently rocked her back and forth while whispering words of comfort.

As her sobs began to slow, Leonardo turned to look outside, and he frowned lightly when he saw that the sky had begun to grow dark. "Ezio, Rosa, I'm sorry to interrupt, but it is almost nightfall. Ezio, you need to hurry if you hope to get home in time for you to have dinner with your family."

Ezio nodded but waited until Rosa had fully composed herself before speaking. "You're right. It would be strange if I did not attend, as I have obviously not been at Cristina's."

Leonardo's eyes twinkled in delight and the smile could be heard in his voice. "Well, that is for sure. But you have been at a _friend_'s home for the day."

"Oh, Leonardo, _il mio carissimo amico_," Ezio told him, grinning.

Leonardo chuckled in return. "_Si__,__il mio amico_. Now, just explain to your family that you found me struggling with some boxes and offered me some help. Tell them that I asked if you would like me to give you a tour of my workshop and you accepted. After I had shown you around, we talked for a while and got so caught up in our conversation that you lost track of the time. Sound good?"

"Yes, it sounds like a perfect excuse."

Leonardo smiled, and then gasped a little as he remembered. "Oh, I almost forgot!" He quickly dashed off into another room of his workshop. From that room, sounds of boxes being moved and falling papers could be heard. All of a sudden, Leonardo emerged from the room carrying a box filled with paintings. He walked over and deposited it on the table where Ezio and Rosa still sat. "Here are your mother's commissions. That way you have proof that you were here! Also, give her my thanks for commissioning me, not only for her patronage, but because I wouldn't have met either of you otherwise! Just don't tell her that!"

Both Rosa and Ezio laughed lightly at that.

After a brief moment of silence, Ezio fidgeted in his seat before standing and asking hesitantly, "Leonardo, would it be all right if Rosa stayed here for the night?"

"Of course it would!" Leonardo exclaimed delightedly, raising his arms in the air happily.

"Can't I come?" Rosa asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Ezio smiled sheepishly. "Well, I'd love for you to come, but…"

"But what?"

"My family would think that you're my next, um, _conquest_." At this, Rosa crossed her arms, raising one eyebrow, her questioning appearance clearly stating '_Oh really?'_Ezio hastily tried to explain. "At this time, I was actually with Cristina. So my family would just assume I broke up with her to be with you—"

Rosa raised her hand, effectively stopping his rant, and burst out laughing. Ezio looked at her with a very dubious expression and seemed to be wondering if she had gone mad. "Ezio, I was only kidding! I understand. But I just love to see you scrambling like that. You looked like a hopeless fool!" She continued laughing and soon both Ezio and Leonardo joined in.

Following their brief bout of laughter, Ezio picked up the apple, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and placed it into his satchel.

He grabbed the box filled with his mother's commissions and quickly made his way to the door. But he paused, glancing back as though he had forgotten something truly important. He walked swiftly back to Rosa, and he gave her a brief, but passionate kiss. He smiled, uttering a quick '_see you soon_' to her grinning face, then hurried out the door.

)O(

Ezio walked through the dark, yet lively streets of Florence, and swiftly arrived at the _Palazzo Auditore_. As he walked, a small white object on the ground caught his eye. Recognizing immediately what it was, Ezio placed the box down. He snatched the object and stashed it in his satchel; then he picked up the box and continued on his way.

Once he reached the front door, he gently set the box on the ground and turned the door's knob, successfully opening it slightly. Ezio picked up the box once again and pushed open the door with his shoulder, closing it lightly with his foot. He could hear the cheerful chatter of his family in the dining room. Taking a deep breath, Ezio nervously walked into the room where his family was.

"Ezio, there you are!" Federico called to Ezio cheerfully from his spot at the table next to Maria and across of Claudia, who sat to the right of Petruccio while Giovanni sat at the end of the table.

Ezio chuckled sheepishly "Well, hello to you too, _fratello._Oh, and mother, I have the paintings that you commissioned from Leonardo da Vinci." He lifted the box in his arms slightly to emphasis what he was holding.

Maria smiled warmly at her son. "Thank you, Ezio. But how did you know that I even had paintings commissioned from Leonardo?"

Ezio knew that now was the time to fully establish a perfect story and stick with it. Otherwise, he would be seen through his lie. "Well, you see; I ran into him today on the streets. He was struggling with some boxes of painting supplies and so I offered to carry them back to his workshop."

"So did you stay at Leonardo's for the entire day?"

"Yes." Ezio cleared his throat awkwardly. "Leonardo is a very...interesting man. He was good company, and made for good conversation."

"I see," Maria said blatantly, clearly unconvinced by her son's excuse for his absence during the day, but said nothing more.

Sensing that his mother's questioning had ended, Ezio rested the box down near the wall of the dining room and walked towards his usual spot at the table, which was left vacant in his absence. He slowly pulled out the chair, which made a very loud, unpleasant screeching noise as it scratched against the floor in Ezio's reluctance to join the table. Cringing at the sound, he stared at the troublesome chair for a moment before looking up at his family diffidently. "Heh. Sorry about that."

Ezio's family was deathly silent as they stared at him. That is, until Federico began to snicker, which quickly turned into full-blown laughter. Petruccio and Giovanni were quick to join in, Claudia tried to resist the urge to laugh, and Ezio saw his mother about to scold his father and siblings before she, too, cracked up. As they shook with laughter, Ezio looked around to see his family's warm, smiling faces, their faces showing nothing but delight. They were completely unaware of the terror that would strike them in only two days. Ezio could feel tears begin to form in the corner of his eyes at the sight of his family as how it once was before it was horrifically torn apart.

'_No! This time won't turn out like that, I swear it!'_ he thought as he blinked away the tears that had taken shape.

Turning his attention away from his family and his troubled thoughts, Ezio looked upon the delicacies which adorned the table. Cooked and heavily spice-covered pheasant, sweet, fresh fruit; and soft, finely ground wheat filled bread were only some of the things that decorated the heavily stocked table.

He had forgotten how differently he ate as an assassin compared to when he was still a noble living with his family. The stale bread and occasional unflavoured meat he had grown accustomed to eating (generally at inns) when he was back in his time, was nothing compared to the delicious meal before him.

Maria, Claudia, Giovanni, Federico and Petruccio had all stopped laughing by now and were watching Ezio as he stared hungrily at the food. As they did this his stomach growled loudly and Ezio realized that he had not eaten anything all day. Giovanni smiled warmly at his second eldest son. "Well, don't just stare at the food. Go ahead and eat, Ezio," his father told him, waving his hand over the table as a signal to dig in.

Ezio immediately complied. He was unsure of what to eat first, so he reached for the decadent pheasant, grabbing a piece and– in what was not the most mannerly way possible- shoved it into his mouth. His mother sent him a scolding look at his obvious lack of manners to which he muttered out a small "Sorry." Unfortunately, he did so with a mouth full of food, which caused Maria to send him an even more reprimanding gaze. Ezio swallowed his food. Bowing his head, he spoke once again, although, this time he did so with a clear voice. "Sorry, mother."

Across the table, Federico appeared to be once again holding in laughter at his brother's entertaining misfortune. Maria glanced in his direction, her scolding look unwavering before turning to Ezio, her features quickly changing to that of concern. "Ezio, are you alright? You're acting quite strangely today..."

Ezio looked up at his mother, trying not to appear perturbed. "I'm alright; it's just been a...long day."

Maria still looked concerned, but spoke in a light-hearted tone. "Get some sleep then, tonight. That means no gallivanting off to Cristina's later." Her look of concern was now replaced with a knowing one; Maria knew her sons all too well.

Ezio smiled brightly. "Don't worry, mother. I won't." _'I'd rather go visit somewhere else tonight…but it really would be best if I didn't,'_ he thought quietly to himself before continuing with his meal.

Dinner continued peacefully, light chatter and laughs were shared among the family. Ezio did his best to remain calm throughout the dinner, although it was still difficult to convince himself that this all wasn't a dream. He looked at the smiling faces of his father and brothers, none of which deserved to die in two days, especially little Petruccio. The small boy was entirely innocent and unaware of the conflict between the Assassins and the Templars. He knew that even if his youngest sibling wasn't hung that day, Petruccio wouldn't have lived much longer because of his illness. Either way, Ezio still wanted his little brother to have the best life he could up until the day he died. Dying in a way filled with fear and confusion certainly didn't count. As dinner ended, Ezio watched Petruccio got up from the table, and so he did as well. He walked over to his little brother. "Petruccio."

Petruccio stopped walking and turned around at the sound of his name. "Yes, brother?"

Smiling, Ezio reached into his satchel and pulled out the object which he had picked up earlier and handed it to his brother. "Here, this is for you."

Ezio's younger brother gasped in surprise as the object reached his small hands. "A feather! I've wanted one so badly!" Petruccio rushed forward and enveloped his brother in a tight hug - despite only reaching up to his brother's chest in height - which Ezio gladly returned. "Thank you so much, Ezio!" Petruccio ran off to his room, no doubt in order to begin his stash of beloved feathers that would be placed in his box.

"That was very kind of you, my son. But how did you know he wanted a feather?" Came Giovanni's questioning voice from behind Ezio.

Ezio spun around to face his father, and he knew he had to think of a lie as quickly as possible. "I... saw him looking at feathers on a rooftop a few days ago a-and thought that if I saw one, I'd give it to him, which I did." He spoke quickly and stuttered slightly, making him appear questionable. But fortunately Giovanni saw it as Ezio merely being embarrassed by doing what he may have thought to be childish.

His father smiled tenderly. "Petruccio looks up to you Ezio, it's good to see that you look out for him." Giovanni pulled his son into a hug, which Ezio hesitantly returned.

A pang of guilt rushed through Ezio at his father's words, though Giovanni had meant nothing but praise for his son. His words still caused Ezio to think upon how he had_ failed_to look out for Petruccio, for all of his family.

Ezio wore a despair of sorrow that reflected his inner upheaval. His father saw this look, but said nothing. He knew there was something troubling his son, but he also knew him well enough to know that he would tell them what was wrong when he was ready to. He released his son from the hug and held him out at arm's length with his hand on Ezio's shoulders. "Just remember that no matter what, your mother and I are very proud of you."

It was still quite early in the evening and Ezio decided that it would be suspicious if he went to bed, no matter how tiring the day was. He walked over towards the living room where his mother was currently sitting at her favourite chair and sewing up a hole in one of his father's shirts. Claudia was resting near the window reading a book, and Federico was off studying.

Federico looked up from his studies when he heard his younger brother approaching. "Well hello there, _fratello._Do you fancy a game of chess? This studying was getting overly boring," he asked Ezio, placing his book and quill down beside him.

Ezio missed the games of chess he played with his brother. Sure, he had played chess with others after becoming an assassin; Leonardo, for example, was someone he played with often. But it still was not the same thing and so he was eager to accept his brother's invitation. "Of course! I'd be happy to!"

Federico grinned broadly, and standing up he walked over to the chess table, taking a seat on the side where the white pieces lay. Ezio followed closely behind his brother and sat down on the side of the table with the red pieces were placed.

Once they had both settled into their seats, Federico reached towards one of his pawns. Picking it up, he placed it on E4 –a popular opening move—and was still smiling cheekily, clearly thinking that this game would end in his victory. Unfortunately for Federico, something that he did not know was that in the future, Ezio had improved greatly at playing chess as well as overall strategy. Ezio countered his brother's move with a very well thought through tactical move. This surprised Federico-his brother had clearly gotten better. _'__Baby brother__ is starting to grow up,'_ he thought.

The game continued on and Ezio continued to show his skill, managing to pull off many moves, including pinning, skewering, and forking his brother more than once. Soon, the game came close to its end; Ezio had just taken Federico's queen, leaving his brother with only his king, while he himself still kept his rooks as well as his king. Ezio managed to corner Federico's king, and, moving his rook, it was over.

"Checkmate."

The room was filled with a shocked silence before it was broken by Giovanni clapping. Ezio hadn't even noticed that his father had come into the room to watch their game.

"Well done, my son. It's seems that you listened to the advice I gave you the last time you played against your brother, and because of that, you finally managed to win," his father told him proudly.

It was true, Ezio had listened to his father's advice, and in the future, he knew that it had helped him with far more than just chess.

"Thank you, father." By now, Ezio had grown overwhelmed by the presence of his family and really just felt the dire need to escape. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I think that I'll retire for the evening. I've had a long day." Without waiting for an answer, he quickly ran from the room. As soon as he felt he had gotten far enough away, he calmed down and his steps grew slower.

)O(

Ezio slowly walked to his room, gently trailing his hand along the wall, his path illuminated only by the dim candle light from the lamps that hung on the walls. He took the time to look at everything in great detail, and he realized it was just as he remembered it. The walls were decorated with paintings of almost every kind, the floor was covered with soft, colourful rugs, and the house was filled with the sweet aroma of light lavender incense. The nostalgia brought a small smile to his face as he remembered his childhood, how he grew up taking these simple things for granted.

As an assassin, he truly learned that not everyone were as privileged as he. During his time as a noble, he looked down upon those of the lower classes. Now that he knew the truth, he felt guilty for thinking and doing the things he did. He knew that his father never did such things, and he knew why. An assassin was by no means one of the higher "classes" they were just as good as scum. Well, based on the views of Templar rule, anyways.

'_And I certainly learned that the hard way,' _Ezio thought as he reached the door to his room. Turning the handle and pushing it open, he walked inside.

The moonlight, which fed through the window, lit up Ezio's modestly sized, yet well-furnished bedroom. A soft bed, a small wooden dresser to hold his clothes, a well-stocked bookshelf, and a night stand with a single candle resting upon it, were what made up his room. The room was decorated with wallpaper, a few paintings, as well as rugs, which were spread across the floor.

He had neglected to take a look at his room that morning in his panic, and so he did so now as he made his way towards his bed. He sighed once again as he remembered his room fondly, it –like the entire palazzo—was a place where he had always felt entirely safe. But he knew that his family was what really made it a home. They were the ones that truly made him feel safe. That was why he had never returned to stay at the palazzo; the emptiness was suffocating and felt loneliness whenever he passed by it during his time in Florence.

Upon reaching his bed, Ezio fell onto it and stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating what had happened before closing his eyes and willing himself to sleep. He could only hope that he was prepared for what was to come.


End file.
